It’s wild how we got Shang-Chi in the MCU before the X-Men and Fantastic Four. But after watching Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we all struggled to enjoy the average Marvel movie. In fact, five years after its September 2021 release (Rotten Tomatoes: 92% critics, 98% audience), it still holds up with fans.
With Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026, and Destin Daniel Cretton (who recently had a huge hit with Spider-Man: Brand New Day) confirming that a sequel is still in development, it’s time to take a look back at one of the best MCU movies ever made.
How Shang-Chi Reinvents Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu
Let me preface this by saying I never had an interest in Shang-Chi in Marvel Comics. I always found him to be a deliberate rip-off of Bruce Lee and there was hardly any desire to make him anything more than that.
Well, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings isn’t sticking to the origin created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, which made him the son of Fu Manchu. It brings with it something new, tying Shang-Chi’s history to the Mandarin—or in this case, Wenwu. (There’s quite a funny line about the meaning of the Mandarin in the movie, but I won’t spoil it for you here.) While exploring this curious family dynamic, the story also dives deep into Chinese mythology and fuses it with some familiar Marvel lore to create a fresh and much-needed update for the original Master of Kung Fu.
Why Shang-Chi Breaks the Marvel Formula
After watching Black Widow, I complained to a friend how all the MCU movies were starting to look and feel the same. It was the Marvel formula in full effect—kind of like drinking Coke because you always knew what to expect. And I feared the same thing would happen with Shang-Chi.
Turns out I was wrong. Dead wrong.
The Visuals and Martial Arts Choreography That Set Shang-Chi Apart
What director Destin Daniel Cretton has created, though, is not only one of the most eye-catching and visually unique Marvel films to date, but also among the best in every other department. Shang-Chi isn’t just a good movie—it’s utterly fantastic.
There are scenes in this film that look like they’ve been pulled straight out of a dream world. The vivid colors and unbelievable attention to detail will have you watching these moments over and over again. Everything you see in a frame is entirely deliberate and Cretton, along with cinematographer William Pope, crafted the type of film that highlights just how important composition is in every shot.
Of course, the other main talking point is the action. If you think you’ve seen it all in the MCU, Shang-Chi raises the bar to another level. This is top-tier martial arts with world-class choreography. Without diving into too many spoilers, but if you thought the hallway fight in Netflix’s Daredevil was the best fight scene in the MCU, prepare to have it replaced by at least three action sequences from Shang-Chi. And this isn’t shaky cam nonsense that plagues many action films with poorly choreographed fights. No, this is the real deal that’ll have action stars nodding in approval.
The Cast: Simu Liu, Tony Leung and Awkwafina Deliver
Shang-Chi also proves what I already suspected after watching Kim’s Convenience: Simu Liu is a star. Not only is he comfortable in the light-hearted moments, but he also displays a sense of vulnerability that’ll have the audience believing his journey towards self-discovery as well as his periods of self-doubt.
Next to Liu, Tony Leung’s Wenwu is another standout performer. Much like Killmonger from Black Panther, his character operates in a gray area where you can sympathize but also criticize his methods. And despite all the doubts, Awkwafina’s Katy put in a convincing and superb performance as well. Her journey is closely tied to Shang-Chi’s and she’s also on the path to finding out more about herself and what she’s capable of.
RELATED: The Best MCU Film Nobody Talks About Anymore Is Finally Getting a Sequel
Is Shang-Chi One of the Best MCU Movies Ever Made?
Audiences clearly thought so. The film set a Labor Day weekend box office record with a $71.4 million three-day opening in North America, and it was Marvel Studios’ first film with an Asian lead.
We’re living in an age where superhero movies and shows arrive every other week. As a result, most of them end up being entirely serviceable but hardly spectacular. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the rare comic book movie that simply takes your breath away and shows the genre still has something original to offer. Quite simply, it’s one of the best MCU films ever made, and five years on it still holds up.
RELATED: Marvel Cut Shang-Chi From Its Own Doomsday Watchlist — Simu Liu’s Reaction Says It All
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is streaming on Disney+ in the US. It’s also available to rent and buy from Amazon, Apple TV and Fandango At Home.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings |
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Shang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization. |
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| Studio: Marvel Studios, Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Running Time: 132 minutes |
| Release Date: September 3, 2021 (United States) |
| Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, Tony Leung |
| Director: Destin Daniel Cretton |
| Writers: Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel, Cretton Andrew Lanham |
| Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Superhero |
| Box Office: $432.2 million |
